Vanity box or case



Oct. 8, 1940. v w, ARMSTRONG 2,217,149

VANITY BOX OR CASE Filed Aug. 17, 1958 INVENTOR Henry W Armstron Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VANITY BOX OR CASE Application August 17, 1938, Serial No. 225,306

6 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in small boxes of a class commonly known as vanity boxes or cases, and the invention particularly relates to an improvement in a hinge construction and a retaining spring for such boxes.

A current tendency in the manufacture of this type of article is to make the body part of one of the commercially used molded plastics and the cover and other necessary constructional parts of metal; thus requiring for all the parts to be properly fitted and to function in coengagement with one another, a technique of fabrication and assembly different from the conventional technique for all-metal vanity boxes. Such structural changes form the basis of this application.

It is particularly one of the objects of this invention to provide an improved hinge construction for pivotally attaching a metal cover to a body made of plastic material.

A further object is to provide a spring means associated with the hinge to retain the latter under tension and compensate for any looseness that usually results between the working parts due to manufacturing tolerances. Also the same spring means may be further employed to frictionally retain a compartment or a powder plaque within the body cavity designed for the cosmetic.

With these objects in view and others not specifically referred to, the invention consists in certain novel parts, arrangements and combinations which will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and the novel features thereof pointed out in the claims pended.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a rear side view of the box showing the hinge construction, the box being in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the box being shown in partly open position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the box in full open position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the hinged end of the box showing intimate details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a plan view through the hinge structure of the box taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the main part of the hinge structure, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the spring element employed in the box.

Referring now to the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the improved box includes a body hereunto apl0 preferably made of a plastic composition comprising a bottom II and an annular upstanding flange l2 surrounding a cylindrical well 13. The fact that the body is made of a plastic composition makes the need of a greater wall thickness for the body than would be used with metal bodies, thus necessitating a somewhat different structural design for some of the other parts employed in the box.

The body I0 is closed by a metallic cover l4 comprising a crowned top 15 beaded at its marginal edge H, the bead merging into an annular depending flange I8 adapted to snugly fit into a circumferential recess l9 provided in the upper outer wall of the body flange l2. The base of the body It] is also provided with a marginal bead 2i] harmonizing with the cover bead I1, both of which parts serve as a better gripping medium for the box.

In order to provide a novel means for hinging the metal cover I 4 to the plastic body In a connecting hinge element generally indicated by the numeral 2| is provided (see Fig. 6) engaging through a rectangular slot 22 in the flange part l2 of the body Ill. The cover M in turn is provided with a pair of spaced hinge barrels 23, 23

formed integrally with and depending from the lower edge of the cover flange .18.

The hinge element 2| is made from a single fiat blank of sheet metal and is formed into a U- shaped hinge loop 24 merging into a pair of spaced parallel connecting plates 25, 25 having their inner ends terminating in a pair of oppositely disposed flanges 26, 26, the latter being preferably curved to agree with the inner diameter of the body well 13. The length of the hinge loop 24 coincides with the space between the cover hinge barrels 23, 23 and is adapted to extend through thebody slot 22 beyond the outer wall surface of the body flange l2 to a position in axial alignment with said cover hinge barrels 23, 23 so as to permit a hinge pintle 21 to be inserted therethrough and complete the hinge structure. From Figs. 5 and 6 it will be noted that the connecting plates 25, 25 and flanges 26, 26 of the hinge member 2| are of a greater length than the hinge loop 24 and form connecting shoulders 28, 28 that are curved to correspond with and lie in a common plane with the outside surface of the body flange l2. The increased length of the connecting plates 25, 25 and flanges 26, 26 of the hinge member 2| is designed for the purpose of producing a greater purchase bearing for the hinge member 2l within the slot 22 of the body [0 and also for securely holding a spring member within said body in a manner to be described later.

Disposed within the body Il] may be any form of compartment for retaining the cosmetic material and specifically in this case there is shown a shallow dished plaque 29 bearing a powder or rouge compact 30. In order to hold the plaque 29 in the body II], a flat leaf spring member 3| (referred to above) is provided, comprising an intermediate flat section 32 connecting a pair of diverging arms 33, 33 having their opposite ends merged into arcuate terminal ends or palms, 34, 34. The flat section 32 of the spring 3| is provided with a rectangular slot 35 for receiving the hinge element 2|. i

In the assembly of the box, the loop portion 24 and plates 25, 25 of the hinge element 2| are first inserted through the rectangular slot 35 in the spring member 2| and then through the slot 22 in the body flange I2. The fact that the intermediate portion of the spring 3| is initially a flat section 32 necessitates in assembling the hingethat this flat section 32 be sprung or flexed into an arcuate shape to conform with the inner diameter of the body flange I2, so that the hinge element 2| may be disposed in a position wherein the hinge loop 24 can be aligned with the hinge barrels, 23, 23 of the cover when the latter is fitted properly upon the body Ill and permit a hinge pintle 21 to be inserted in place. The flexing of the flat section 32 of the spring out of its normal flat state will as a consequence subject the hinge element 2| to a constant inwardly pulling tension which will be transmitted through the hinge pintle 21 to the cover hinge barrels 23, 23 and hold them in relatively tight engagement against the adjacent wall as at points A (see Fig. on the body flange I2, thus tending to tighten up all of the working parts and eliminate any loosely fitted connections,

It is here pointed out that the function of the spring 3| to tighten up the movable fittings can be applied to an all metal box as well as the type here illustrated, and may also be applied to other than round shaped boxes by merely forming a portion of said spring to a shape different from the body wall and causing such portion to be sprung against'said wall by the assembly of the hinging member.

After the assembly of the spring 3| in the manner indicated above, the diverging spring arms 33, 33 and arcuate terminal palms 34, 34 will be disposed a substantial distance inwardly from the inner wall of the body flange I2 so that in assembling the cosmetic plaque 29 it will only be necessary to engage the dished edge of the plaque against the palms 34,34, spring the arms 33, 33 outwardly and snap said plaque 29 into the cylindrical well I3. The spring pressure exerted by the arms 33, 33 will cause the opposite edge of the cosmetic plaque 29 to frictionally engage against the adjacent or front inner wall of the body flange I2 within the well I3.

From the above description it will be evident that the spring 3I serves two purposes, first it acts as a means to hold the working parts of the hinge under tension to produce a smooth working hinge and hold the cover in a more stable position; and second, the same spring acts as a retention means for frictionally holding any compartment or unit containing the cosmetic that may be placed within the box.

While the invention is shown and described in what is believed to be its best form it will be understood that various changes and variations may be made in the particular structure disclosed without departing from the invention as defined in the claims appended hereunto.

What I claim is:

1. A vanity box comprising a body made of a moldable composition with a relatively thick sidewall and a metal cover, the sidewall of said body having a rectangular slot, a pair of spaced hinge barrels depending from the edge of said cover, a hinge element comprising a U loop connecting a pair of parallel spaced plates, the latter having their free ends formed into oppositely disposed flanges, the length of the flanges andplates being greater than said loop thereby producing connecting shoulders between said U loop and plates, the hinge element adapted to be disposed in said slot with the U loop in alinement with said hinge barrels and the flanges engaged against the inner wall of said body, and a pin connecting said U loop to said barrels for completing the hinge, said connecting shoulders being of arcuate shape and disposed in a plane coextensive with the outside wall surface of said body.

2. A vanity box, a body having a sidewall with a slot therethru, a cover having one or more hinge barrels connected thereto, a hinge loop projecting thru said slot with its loop portion alined with said one or more barrels, a pin connecting said hinge loop to said one or more barrels, the free ends of said hinge loop oppositely bent into flanges, and a spring element normally of a shape non-conformable to the inner surface of said body wall and embraced between said wall and said flanges and sprung to conform substantially to the adjacent inner body wall, thus subjecting said hinge parts to a constant tension and compensate for any loose connections.

3. A vanity box, for retaining a cosmetic receptacle, a body having a sidewall with a slot therethru, a cover having a pair of spaced hinge barrels depending from the lower edge thereof, a U shaped hinge loop projecting thru said slot and disposed between said barrels in alinement therewith, a pin pivotally connecting said loop to said barrels completing the hinge structure, the free ends of said hinge loop being oppositely bent to form flanges, a spring element embraced between said flanges and the adjacent walls of said body and subjecting the hinge structure to a constant inward tension whereby any manufacturing tolerances of the working parts and wear and tear of the box will be compensated for, and a pair of arms forming a part of said spring element biased away from the inner wall of said body and serving as a retention means for the receptacle within said body.

4. A vanity box for retaining a cosmetic receptacle, a body having a sidewall with a slot therethru, a cover having a pair of spaced hinge barrels depending from the lower edge thereof, a U shaped hinge loop projecting thru said slot and disposed between and in alinement with said barrels, a pin pivotally connecting said loop to said barrels, the free end of said hinge loop being oppositely bent into a pair of flanges, and a spring element embraced between said flanges and the adjacent wall of said body, said spring element comprising an intermediate section connecting a pair of diverging arms terminating in arcuate palms, the intermediate section being of a nonconforming shape to the inner wall of said body and adapted upon assembly to be sprung out of its normal shape into substantial conformity with the shape of said body wall, thus effecting a constant spring tension upon said hinge structure, and the palms of said arms adapted to embrace said receptacle to detachably retain the same in assembled position within the body.

5. A vanity box comprising a body having a sidewall with a slot therethru, a cover having a hinge element, a hinge loop projecting thru said slot and having pintle connection with said hinge element, said hinge loop having flanges oppositely arranged Within the body, a toilet article disposed Within said body, and a flat leaf spring member embraced between said flanges and said body wall and serving to tension the hinge structure and detachably retain the toilet article Within the body.

6. A vanity box comprising a body having a relatively thick wall and a metal cover, the sidewall of said body having a rectangular slot, a pair of spaced hinge barrels depending from the edge of said cover, a hinge element comprising a U shaped loop connected to a pair of parallel spaced plates, the latter having their free ends formed into oppositely disposed flanges for engagement against the inner wall of said body, the plates of said hinge element being disposed in and passing thru said slot and further being of greater length than said loop whereby to give said hinge element a greater bearing efiect within said slot to prevent relative twisting of the same, and a pin connecting said U loop to said barrels for completing the hinge.

HENRY W. ARMSTRONG. 

